I've been wanting to speak publicly on my experience with overcoming addiction through the use of psychedelics, and Tovson a proposal to the organizers of the 2016 exploring psychedelics conference in Ashland Oregon. (See another post in the sub for him for more info on that).

I received the response that they may be interested in including it as part of a testimonial panel of sorts, and I'm excited to even be considered. This is the text of the proposal I sent, I'd love any kind of feedback you guys may have:

""I'm sending this to you to flesh out a little bit my proposal for a presentation at the conference in April. I am not credentialed academically on the subject, the subject upon which I speak i do so solely from my witness and experience. However the extreme circumstances within my story I feel qualIfy me. My history as one who fell into the debased lifestyle of heroin addiction for over 20 years, self medicating PTSD and from there into clinically supervised and maintained methadone addiction and as one who only found resurrection from that through the use of psychedelics I feel I am qualified. Over the better part of 25 years, I can count over a hundred attempts at cleaning up and maintaining an opiate free lifestyle. In my failure of those attempts, I was labeled everything from "incorrigible" to "treatment resistant" to being simply "too smart to recover" and was written off to enjoy a life of methadone maintenance.

A chance encounter with 5 meo DMT which was rather carelessly applied thru my ignorance nonetheless provided an experience which I can say saved my life. Since then I have begun and apply a practice which I call "practical tripping"; which is an auto didactic process of identifying integration technologies and applying them to my life. I document my progress- my success and failure on a WordPress site and also thru regular posts on entheogenic forums and as a org member of PEERS.

I have applied my learning to combat severe depression and PTSD, which are co occurring syndromes with my addiction. Currently I enjoy a life free of dependence and have no need to medicate depression with anything other than irregular psychedelic use, (DMT, psilocybin, salvia d.) both for the benefit of the self knowledge they provide but also for direct pharmacological long lasting anti depressant and anxiolytic effects. Cannabis is also part of my regimen.

To paraphrase Dennis Mckenna , I can't think of a better way to launch a discussion than through psychedelics. Most if not all of the human experience and more is encoded within the experience and so much about us can be inferred from even the existence of something like a "magic mushroom", or DMT produced within our own brain. From the metaphysical and spiritual to the empirical and scientific to the philosophical and back, the doors they open are endless but yet the conscious use of them can help one gain a stronger foundation in reality. They are the gift to us from the universe, keys to help us unfold our consciousness to help us enjoy life in line with the ebb and flow of the universe as it is, and they help us see this.

The conversation around psychedelics has changed considerably in this so called renaissance we are living in. No longer is it rooted within drug culture and viewed as a threat to society. The variety of experience and applications now being explored and researched include treatment for conditions such as mine.

Commonly in the treatment community people like me are written off, having appellations like the ones above applied to them (incorrigible, etc). My talk on this subject goes into the deficiencies of the common modalities of drug treatment in America, the change resistant paradigms like a disease model and the general lack of efficacy. A heroin addict has a 75% chance of dying due to causes directly related to their use. Concurrently, the numbers relating to the success rates of commonly applied methods- 12 step et al-are the same as those of spontaneous remission, or even less, which says that not only is the model not beneficial, it may work AGAINST some people. I'm tired of losing loved ones to this way of thinking.

Offering a way out of the lifestyle through legalization won't happen anytime soon. At this point in the US, the phrase harm reduction refers to society., not the addict. We suffer as a culture the effects of the 'reefer madness' installed through epigenetics (lol) since the drug war began, with generation after generation having the ideas of drug use as a moral failure reinforced from early childhood.
I offer an alternative and see it as my mission to engage the public, openly stating my history and background, documenting and sharing my progress through success and failure, in hope that even one person gains a new perspective outside the paradigm shoved into their minds, and offer hope. There is no need to suffer as long as I have, if I could help to amend another's then perhaps my path of tears will not be for naught.

This is not the text of any talk I give , but touches on its points. I understand I'm unknown, uncreditialed and unattractive (lol) but I would love the opportunity to begin a new chapter in my life spreading this word at the conference in april.
Thanks for your time, hope to hear back soon.
Peace and be good to you. "

I sure hope they let you speak, Null. I don't think it should matter if you are academically qualified or not. You have more experience with hardships in life and resolving them through psychedelics than a lot of us put together...and I've gained that information solely through following many of your posts here at the Nexus. But of course, what I think doesn't really hold any water as I am not any more qualified than anyone else...

I think it is more than appropriate for the layman to be able to share insights, wisdom, and experiences. In fact, not only is it appropriate, it is necessary, IMHO. And if one can do that in a public speaking forum, more power to you, man.

I feel we need more average joes speaking on such matters to "amp up" the research involved. You can't explain a psychedelic experience just by looking at how the brain reacts to said psychedelics and taking notes. You have to live it. You have to BE it. Most people can't wrap their heads around it because it is not only foreign, but it is scary and/or frightening. Hence why humans fear the "unknown" ... ... ...

You have a great opportunity here and I hope they respond in kind. If not, well, then I'm sure there will be another open window further down the road. Times are changing and we are a part of it. I can hardly imagine anything else so beautiful. Go make a difference and let us know how it goes!

Best of luck to you and your endeavors, Null.

Thanks, GO, your wordsof kindness are always so uplifting and supportive, means a heck of a lot to me!

I should add that one of the organizers has expressed some interest in the content as being part of a user testimonial type panel discussion. I think that would be perfect!

I think a good part of it probably hinges on other submissions to fill out a panel. iIf anybody's going to be in the southern Oregon area around that time, send them the submission! Let's talk!:

Don`t have much to add but I do hope all goes well with this.

Stories like yours I believe are going to play a major role in changing the way main stream society views entheogenic substances & pave the way for legislation & law changes allowing those who need entheogens access free from legal issues or the expenses of travelling to foreign countries for treatment. Seeing a nexian involved as well is always a big plus. I`'ll deffinately be watching for updates, etc.

Keep up the good work null

Good luck, null. I hope you get the opportunity to tell your story.

null24, you are a star - "Ich drücke dir die Daumen!"